







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | |